Get involved in the Community Center’s Festival of Sustainability 2023 [Update]

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

As the world grapples with issues of climate change, pollution, and other environmental challenges, the need for sustainability has never been more important.

One way of promoting sustainability is by bringing people together to celebrate the earth and learn ways to protect it. In celebration of Earth Day, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to organize the second annual Festival of Sustainability, from April 20th to April 27th.

The festival is entirely online, full of great topics and fun conversation. You can revisit our first Festival by having a look here: Festival of Sustainability 2022.

The goal is to raise awareness of sustainable practices and offer practical solutions that anyone can adopt in their daily lives.  We do need your help, though, so we would like to invite you to get involved.

Here are two ways:

1. Community Photo Collage:

Share a photo of yourself somewhere “green.” It could be at a park,  a forest, a beach cleanup,  a botanical garden or even your backyard. We will stitch all the images together to make our very own community collage that we will share as a featured post at the end of the festival. Your photo could inspire others to take action, reduce their carbon footprint, and live more sustainably. So, dust off your camera, grab your phone, and snap a photo of yourself in a green space.

 How this works: 

• Take a selfie of yourself somewhere “green”
• Landscape or portrait
• Clear, quality photos using your smartphone (or other device if you prefer)
• Ideal image formats: JPEG or PNG
• Send your submissions to airbnb-cc@airbnb.com to be included in the grand reveal at the end of the festival or post it below.

2. Create a detailed topic all sustainability:

If you would like to create a topic to be included in the week, please comment below or contact me directly to discuss this further. Some topics to consider are renewable energy sources, recycling, green products – we have other topics we can suggest as well so feel free to reach out if you’d like some ideas!

We are asking for a maximum of 750 words (if you can!), which we will translate into all the languages we support here on the CC to share during the Festival. 

Together, we can make a positive impact on our planet. Let's do this! Let’s all share and inspire each other during the Festival of Sustainability!

Thanks so much,

**Deadline for article submissions is Thursday, Apr 13, 2023 ❗Monday, 17 April, 2023❗

 **Deadline for photo submissions is Monday Apr 24, 2023

*Disclaimer 

By submitting your image to the email address above, you authorize Airbnb to use your media, your first name, profile photo, and city and country of residence in marketing materials to promote Airbnb.

[Felicity11]

Lots of writting going on here Jennifer and i will have it through to you very soon. - Perhaps even with some videos!!

[Laurelle3]

@Quincy I am working on my piece for sustainability. It should be there by the 13th posted from NZ. Visiting daughter again. Can you send me the google editing page please

[Laurelle3]

@Quincy I will work on something for Sustainability. I have started on the wearing of green and keeping Australia clean especially in our own backyard - the beach. I think I have 3 takers on our local Airbnb FB page in 3 different locations.

[Quincy]

Hi @Laurelle3, it's lovely to hear that 3 others have joined! I will reach out to you via DM with some details later today 🙂

[Felicity11]

Hi @Laurelle3 

That is wonderful news well done you! Go team Australia.. 

Felicity 

[Rita2164]

Good Idea!

I have sent myself a reminding email.

Thank you

[Jenny]

That's great @Rita2164 - have you had any ideas yet?  Do you think you'd like to submit a photo or write a topic?

We'd love to hear your ideas!

[Ian-and-Gemma0]

Not sure if relevant but our primary school has 150 hens with the 125,000th egg due to be laid imminently- all profits reinvested into our apiary of 14 bee hives. The only school in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 registered to sell eggs to shops 

[Jenny]

This sounds fantastic @Ian-and-Gemma0!

Would you want to take some photos of the hens, or your bee hives, or would you like to write a topic about any of the above with a focus on sustainability?

If you'd like to discuss or get some inspiration please give us a shout!

[Sabrina-And-John0]

@Ian-and-Gemma0 That's brilliant.  Well done.

[Felicity11]

@Ian-and-Gemma0 Wow thanks for telling us all - this is a fantastic initiative. I have been heavily involved in setting up sustainability teams at my son's schools and we have had great success with it - but we did not yet get to chickens.. Wonderful to hear how it it helping the community and School.  

Do you any thing sustainable for your guests?  Offer recycling, composting, use green energy and or leave things in you listing for guests to use such as reusable coffee cups, water bottles, shopping bags, food containers?   Love to hear your thoughts?

[Ian-and-Gemma0]

@Felicity11 We have an empty bee hive on the cottage roof. But have a few mason bee hives dotted around the garden. We also have a camera nest box, which is solar powered, so guests can see the blue **bleep**. Everything at the cottage is recycled is by us at the end of each visit. 
also the extension has a living roof 

[Ian-and-Gemma0]

The bird species name  was deleted by AirBnB 😂

[Maureen577]

Hi

I would like to join the scheme. Hope to meet everyone in April!

[Jenny]

We would love for you to get involved with our online Festival, @Maureen577!

Would you like to submit a photo for our collage or write a topic?  If you're not sure and would like some inspiration, just drop us a line.

[Margaret253]

I am a working volunteer for the Hyde park plant nurseries in London.  We propagate all the plants for the Parks and Buckingham palace.  I will send in some pictures of the Nurseries where it all happens

[Jenny]

I absolutely love this idea @Margaret253 - thanks for getting involved!

The info on how to submit photos is in @Quincy's post, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to give us a shout!

Can't wait to see your submissions.

[Chtr2]

I will join and be a part of the Community Center's Festival of ** Sustainability 2023! This event aims to promote sustainable practices and awareness among the community. There will be various activities such as workshops, talks, exhibits, and competitions that will showcase eco-friendly initiatives and products. We encourage everyone to participate and learn how we can collectively contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

**[Link removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines

[Cathie19]

Well what Australian can resist a challenge! Lol.. @Stephanie @Quincy @Jenny @Margaret253 @Laurelle3 

I heard a little Steph bird call my name from FARrrrrr farrr away….🦜 😁😁

As Laurelle said, we have a formal Clean Up Australia Day where community groups, schools, councils, states, individuals et all undertake a formal area to clean up, or just somewhere personal.  Some pledges are public, most are not. This year it was in early March, but depending on weather conditions, this sometimes gets rescheduled. (As can happen up here in the Wet Season tropics! To get a sense of it, here is the link.

https://www.cleanup.org.au/cleanupaustraliaday

But as Laurelle mentioned, you’re not in an Australian school unless you’ve done an emu walk. Besides the “no hat - no play policy”, in early learning centres and primary schools, emu walks occur.

It’s promoted for all ages, primary and high school - it can be a formal clean up after lunch, before a ”big day”  or before special visitors. Like tidying the house before the replies arrive!

There can also be detention, where someone may have done something naughty and as part of the social response they have to walk around and collect a bag of rubbish. (Gloves on) or little kids told to pick up five bits of rubbish each. So you get the hang of it, kids are taught it’s a level playing field to help the environment.

As for GREEN, that’s pretty well my backyard, front yard and all in between. Especially with it being the wet season. If I wear green, you’ll lose me like a chameleon!  😁

[Ester1]

The awakening of ladybugs (Sasso di Castalda - Basilicata - Italy).Spring day (Sasso di Castalda - Basilicata - Italy)Everday's landscape (Sasso di Castalda - Basilicata - Italy - Author: Davide Barbuto).

[Jennifer3225]

Love these photos.